Harvester-thresher and the like



Aug. 21, 1945. o. A. APPEL HARVESTER-THRESHER AND THE LIKE Filed June 9, 1943 2 Sheets- -Sheet 1 Aug. 21, 1945, I o. A. APPE'L' a 82.

HARVESTER-THRESHER AND THE LIKE Patented Aug. 21, 1945 FICE HARvES'rER-THRESHER AND THE LIKE Oswald A. 'Appel, Spokane, Wash, assignor to Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1943, Serial No. 490,148 16 Claims. (01.130-21) This invention relatesin general tolimprovements of utility in connection with threshing apparatus, and it isof special utility in connection adjustable to vary the direction and degree or extent of transverse conveying action, to the end of enabling the distributor to distribute the grain with threshers of the harvester-thresher type, for

harvesting and threshing grain during the travel of the machine through the field, where the mathrough, to a collecting device from which it is discharged onto the forward edge of a cleaning shoe, when the separating rack and. collecting device for feeding the grain to the cleaning shoe assumes a transverse tilt or inclination corresponding to the inclination or slOpe of the ground on which the machine is working, themajor portion of the separated grain is collected at the lowermost side of the tiltedcollecting device and fed to the cleaning shoe at one side thereozbwith the result that the greater part of the separated grain passes over the cleaning shoe along such side, and hence this portion of the cleaning shoe is overloaded and the shoeis not effectively utilized, and the cleaning operation is inefiicient, with consequent undue loss of threshed grain.

The present invention contemplates theprovision of apparatus embodying a collecting and distributing device through the use of which, particularly in 'a harvester-thresher, insurance may be provided that the separated grain passing from the separating conveyer or rack of the thresher may be distributed and fed to a cleaning shoe across the 'full width of the latter, indeveyer or auger element having flights which are substantially uniformly across the full width of the cleaning shoe independently ofthe direction or degree of slope of the ground on which the machine is working. And a feature of a preferred embodiment of the invention is one Where-inthe operation of varying the direction and degree or extent of the transverse conveying action of the conveyer is rendered automatic in response to the degree of tilt of themachine or slope of the ground onv which the machineis working. 1

It is an object of the present inventionto provide for use in a thresheror harvester-thresher an improved design and construction of separating mechanism embodying a devicefor insuring the distribution of threshed grainon the cleaning shoeof the machine in a substantially uniform manner across the full width of the cleaning shoe, independently of the degree of transverse tilt of the separating rack or the device. for

His a further object of the present invention to provide an improved design and construction .of apparatus of the hereinabove described character, wherein the devices for distributing threshed material onto the cleaning shoe includes a screw conveyer or auger having conveying flights which are adjustable to provide desired variation of the direction and degree of conveying action by the conveyer to thereby secure desired uniformity of distribution of the rain ontion of the machine or of the ground on which the'machine is operating is utilized to automatically effect the desired adjustment of conveying action of the conveyer, and particularly as to the direction of conveying and the angularity-yor pitch of the flights of the conveyer.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by the present invention, various novel features of which will be apparent from the description and drawings disclosing a preferred embodiment of features of the invention, and will be more particularly pointed out in the annexed claims. 8

In the accompanying, drawings:

Fig. 1 is avertical, sectional view, in a plane through the separator housing, in the direction of the line of travel, of a harvester-thresher embodying features of the present invention, with parts, not considered essential for present pur poses of disclosure, eliminated;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view in elevation of a portion of the rear side of the harvester-thresher of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental vertical sectional view in the plane of the line IIIIII of Figs. 1 and 2, with parts of the conveying device shown in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional view of the conveying device, in the plane of the line IV-IV of Fig. 5; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views in the planes of the lines V-V and VIVI, respectively, of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the invention is shown as being applied to a harvesterthresher of the type disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,262,453, November 11, 1941, an axle tube 10 serves as the main support for the apparatus, this tube carrying journals for supporting and traction wheels l2. On the supporting axle I0, is mounted a framework carrying a supporting andenclosing housing I5 for the separating mechanism of the harvester-thresher. The left hand side of thishousing, as viewed in Fig. 1, is provided with a forwardly extending portion which encloses or houses the threshing mechanism, the latter discharging material rearwardly into the separator housing wherein the straw is advanced transversely of the normal direction of travel of the machine. A rotatable threshing cylinder l1, having spaced peripheral threshing bars l8, has its shaft mounted for rotation in the forward thresher portion of the housing I5, the cylinder bars serving, in conjunction with a stationary concave, to discharge straw, and threshed grain from the under side of the cylinder upwardly and rearwardly into the separator housing. Guiding or deflecting vanes 0r baffles 25 mounted on the roof of the threshing housing, and a guiding or'deflecting bafile 2|, mounted on the side wall of the housing |5, serve to deflect the discharged material and cause it to drop on the forward end, or end remote from the discharge end, of a separating rack 23 mounted on a plurality' of hangers or links 25 and 28 pivotally mounted at their upper ends on the housing I5, links 25 being disposed adjacent the forwar portion of the rack and links 26 being attached to a rearward portion thereof, and at their lower ends on the supporting frame of the rack. As indicated, the rack is of a conventional type wherein the supporting frame includes side bars 28, with spaced cross slats 29 secured thereto and extending therebetween. The forward hangers or links 25 may have a baflie associated therewith to prevent threshed grain and straw from passing downwardly through the space between the for-, ward end of the rack and the adjacent side wall of the housing.

Through a pitman connection 3|, from an eccentric on the shaft 34 to an arm 35 on the link or hanger 26, the separating rack has imparted thereto a tO and-frQoscilIation which serves to advance straw rearwardly along the rack with a shaking motion, thus facilitating dropping of the threshed grain particles through the rack and onto collecting plates or pans 31, 38 beneath the forward and rear portion, respectively, of the rack. The plate 38 is disposed at a higher level than the plate 31. A chain drag 4|, having spaced chains passing over driving sprockets 42 on the shaft 34, and guide sprockets 43 on a transverse shaft at the inlet end of the separating housing, is provided with spaced drag or rake bars 45, the bars on the lower course of the chain drag sweeping rearwardly, with respect to the direction of discharge of the straw, along the collecting plate 31 to sweep the threshed grain rearwardly therefrom and over a discharge lip 46 of such plate; and the rake bars on the upper course of the drag sweep forwardly along the collecting plate 38 to sweep threshed grain over a discharge lip 41 thereof. Threshed grain dropping from the separating rack between the discharge lips or edges 46 and 41 of the collecting plates or pans passes directly downwardly through the chain drag. Suitable guides, preferably mounted on the side walls of the housing, are provided for confining the courses of the chain drag to the desired path of travel.

It has been customary in prior devices to discharge threshed grain, collected after passage thereof through the separating rack, directly, or through the intermediary of a discharge chute, onto the forward edge of a cleaning shoe, a conventional form of such a cleaning shoe being in dicated at 5|, the latter including a supporting frame 52 provided with a plurality of superposed screens, the upper one of which is indicated at 53. Beneath the lower screen of the cleaning shoe is a collecting pan, here shown as a portion of the bottom wall of the housing I5, which conveys clean threshed grain, falling from the cleaning screens, to a hopper or well portion 56 in which a transverse conveyer screw 51, on a shaft 58, operates and serves to convey the clean threshed grain toward a suitable receptacle, such as a conventional form of grain bin mounted on the frame of the machine. The cleaning shoe is flexibly mounted in position through pairs of hangers 59 and 5|] pivotally attached at their lower ends to the forward and rear portions of the frame 52 of the cleaning shoe, and pivotallyattached at their upper ends to the side walls of the housing l5. The desired oscillating shaking -motion is imparted to the cleaning shoe through one or more links 6| pivotally attached to a lower extension of pivoted hanger or lever 26, so that as the pitman 3| imparts shaking oscillation to the separating rack, it imparts corresponding motion to the cleaning shoe.

The upper screen 53 of the cleaning shoe is provided at its rear edge with a conventional form of tailings rack 53 which permits unthreshed or partly threshed grain heads to pass through, While rejecting small particles of straw, the latter passing rearwardly through the discharge end of the separator housing. The tailings which drop through the rack 63 fall into a well Or receptacle 64 which may be formed by a portion of the bottom wall of the separator housing; and a conveyer screw 65 in such well is operative to convey the tailings transversely to a point Whence'they may be conveyed, to the threshing mechanism for'rethreshing, by a conventional form of elevating conveyer, provided with a screening device through which is removed clean grain, the latter passing downwardly through a discharge chute 66 for recovery. As indicated, a conventional formof air fan 61, having its shaft mounted in bearings in a fan housing 68 suitably supported on the separator housing on the machine frame, is provided with a discharg passage 69 for supplying air to the cleaning shoe 5| to assist in the cleaning of the grain.

Where gravity alone is relied on to effect the the full width of the cleaning shoe, to a. suitable the separating rack, to thetcleaning shoe, with proper distributionof' the grain across the full width of the oleaningshoe, reasonably satisfac tory results may be expected when the harvesterthresher is operating on level ground, 1. e., when the separator housing, and the collecting plates 31, 3B are not inclined in a direction transverse to the lengthof the separator housing, i. e., the length from left to right as viewed in Fig. 1. However, when such tilting or inclination is present, the major portion of the threshed grain is collected at the lowermost side of the pans and is discharged therefrom onto the-corresponding side of the upper screen of the cleaning shoe, with the result that the grain, not being distributed uniformly across the full width of the cleaner, is so disposed on the screen that one side of the screen is overloaded and cannot effective- 1y or efiicientlyclean all of the grain normally fed to it during the operation of the machine. The loss of grain incidentto suchan ineffective or inefiicient cleaning. operation serious item. M i i i In accordance with a feature of the present invention, the grain discharged from the discharge lip 46 of the collecting pan 31. and from the discharge lip 41 of the collecting pan 38, and likewise the grain dropping directly from the senarating rack through the space between the discharge lips 46 and 41, falls into a transverse well or trough H suitably supported in position from the sidewalls of the housing l5, or otherwise. The rear side of the Well or trough H is provided with a discharge or distributing lip 12 along the full transverse dimension of thecleaning shoe, the grain passing from the .well H and discharging directly, Or preferably by wayof a short downwardly inclined chute 13 extending across point on, and adjacent the forward edge of, the

upper screen 53 of the cleaning shoe. Thelower portion of the trough or hopper 'II is generally of semicircular cross-sectional shape, and the upper portion ofthe sid walls are incl wardly and rearwardiy.

Ascrew type conveyer or auger 15 .is rotatably mounted, on a transverse axis, within the trough H, the shaft of the conveyer being in the form of a hollowintermediate body portion 18, shown as being of rectangular cross-section, having end extensions 19 and Bil provided with journal portions. The journal portion" of the shaft extension 19 is hollow and is rotatably mounted in a bearing 8| carried by one side wall, i. e;, the rear side wall, with respect to the direction of travel of the machine, of the separator housing [5; and the journal portion of th shaftextension 80 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 82 carried by the opposite side wall of the separator housing, or preferably, as indicated, in the corresponding side wall of the enlarged lower portion, or discharge Well 84 of the clean grain discharge chute 66, this discharge well including a lateral extension suitably secured in an opening inthe adjacent side wall of the housing I 5, so as to provide communiined foris a major and jects beyond the side wall of the separator hous- The hollow conveyer shaft 18, is shown as comprising opposed parallel walls 88, with a longitudinally extending supporting plate 89 rigidly attached thereto, in substantially (centralized position, and end plates 90 united tothe walls 88 at their ends and carrying the shaft extensions 19 and 80. "Hub or spindle portions 91 have their inner ends rotatably mounted in enlarged intermediate bearing portions 92 of the supporting plate 89,-these bearing portions being suitably spaced longitudinally of the shaft. And the outer ends 93 of the several hu-b or spindle portions arerotatably mounted in and project outwardly through'the adjacent opposed side walls, indicated at H2, which are at right angles to the plates or walls 88,. of the hollow shaft. Sectional conveyer flights 94 are secured, preferably being detachably mounted, on'the projecting end portions 93 of thehubs 9|, the flights being preferably inserted in slots in said outer end portions. "These conveyer flights are of such shape and contour as to sweep fairly closely along the bottom wall of the hopper or trough 14 during rotation of; the shaft 18. In the formillustrated, the conveyer flightseachiconsists of apiece of sheet material of the required contour and lying substantially in a single plane, as distinguished from being of warped or curved surface shape.

The hubs or spindles 9| of the conveyer flights '94 are mounted so asto be adjusted to desired angular position to produce a screw conveyer of selected pitch and direction of conveying, As indicated herein, on the hub portion Blof each of the, conveyer flights is provided an arm, or, as shown herein, a pair of spaced parallel arms 96, the arms on the hubs of adjacent conveyer flights extending in opposite directions, and longitudinally extending adjusting rods 91 and 98 are pivotally connected to the arms 96 for actuating orshifting the spindle or hub, with its conveyer flight, on its axis to various angular positions, one of these adjusting rods being provided for each set of alternate flights. The ends of the rods 91, 98 adjacent the rear side Wall of the separator housing 15 have loose pivotal connection with a crosshead l0! secured to the inner end of a shaft or spindle I02 which is mounted to slide axially within the hollow journal portion J9 of theshaft l8. i i

By adjusting the spindle or shaft I02 and its crosshead l0! ,axially, the actuating rods 9! and .98 may be reciprocated, and through their loose pivotal connection with thearms 96 on thehubs or spindles 9| of the conveyer flights, the sets of alternateconveyerflights are adjusted angularly, inopposite directions, to provide a variable pitch conveyer, and one wherein the direction of conveying may be reversed. As indicated, the outer end of the spindle I02 is provided with ,a head or journal portion 103 which rotates, in an axially confined manner, in an, actuating thrust collar I04, pivotally supported on a link I05, the latter being pivotally connected to a pendulum rod I01 having a pendulum weight I08 adjustably fixed in selected position on the rod. The upper end of the pendulum rod ID! is supported by a hanging link I09 pivoted to the rod and to a supporting brace or structure H0 mounted on the side wall of the separator housing.. As the pendulum rod shifts its position from spindles or hubs of theconveyerzflights and the adjusting mechanism therefor Within the hollow shaft 18, the opposite side walls H2 through which the spindles 8| extend arepreferably made separable from the body of the hollow shaft, i.-e., the opposed walls 88 and the supporting plate 89. With such side walls removed, the several conveyer flight hubs or spindles on the corresponding side of the supporting plate 89 may be mounted in position, with the journal portions thereof in their bearings in the supporting wall BEL-and the corresponding actuating rod 91 or 98 pivotally secured to the arms 95 on the corresponding alternate hubs and to the crosshead on the spindle I112. The corresponding side wall H2 may then be secured in position, with the outer journal portions of the hubs 9| extendingthrough their bearings in this removable side wall. The hubs or spindles of the other set of conveyer flights may be secured in operative position in their bearings in the opposite side of the intermediate plate 89 and in the opposite removable side wall H2 of the shaft. With the hubs in position, rotatably mounted in the'plate -89 and the removable side walls N2 of the shaft 18, and the operating rods 91, 98 pivotally attached to the arms 96 on the several hubs or spindles and to the crosshead NH, and the plates H2 mounted in position, the separate conveyer flights may be attached to the outer projecting ends of the several rotatable hubs.

The various elements of the separating mechanisms are driven from the shaft 58 of the clean grain screw conveyer 51, through belt drives from a sheave H3 on the shaft 58. One driving belt H4 on this latter sheave serves to drive the fan 61, through a sheave H5 on the shaft thereof; and a second driving belt H6 serves to drive the shaft 18 of the reversible and adjustable screw conveyer 15, through a sheave 81 on the hollow journal portion 19 of such shaft, and to drive the tailings conveyer 65, through a sheave H8 on the shaft of the latter conveyer, and to drive the shaft 34, through a sheave H9 thereon, to effect desired driving of the chain drag 4| and the eccentric-actuated pitman 3|, the latter serving, through the pivoted crank lever 26, to impart the desired shaking oscillation to these];- arating rack 23 and the cleaning shoe 5|.-

In the normal operation of the harvesterthresher through the field, the grainor the like is harvested and conveyed to the threshing mechanism where the action of the rotatable cylinder H, in conjunction with the stationary concave, threshes the out grain and discharges straw and threshed grain rearwardly and upwardl therefrom; and through the effect of the baffles or deflectors 20, 2|, the material is deposited on the forward end of the separating rack 23 which advances the straw rearwardly to thedischarg'e end, while permitting threshed grain to drop onto the collecting plates or pans 31, 38. The chain drag 4| conveys the threshed grain rearwardly along.

the plate 31 and forwardly along the plate 38 to their discharge ends 46, 41, respectively; and the grain drops therefrom to the troughor hopper 1| in which the screw conveyer 1.5 operates.

With the machine operating on ground which does not subject the separator, and more particularly the grain collecting pans 31 and 38 and the grain collecting well or trough H to any appreciable tilting transversely of the length of the separator, the grain falls through the separating rack and is collected and is swept by the chain drag 41 uniformly across substantially the full width of the collecting pans or plates 31, 38, and is deposited into and substantially uniformly across the full width or transverse length of the well or trough 1|. Under these conditions of operation of the machine on substantially level ground, the grain deposits in the hopper 1| to a level where it overflows the discharge lip 12 and with assistance from the agitating effect of the flights ,94 of the conveyer 15, these flights, under such conditions, occupying a substantially neutral conveying position, indicated in full lines in Fig. 3, and exerting minimum axial conveying effect in'either direction, the grain is discharged over the discharge lip 12, and onto the discharge chute 13 and the forward edge of the upper sieve 53 of the cleaning shoe. Due to the rectangular cross-section of the hollow shaft 18, the edge or corner portions of this shaft present surface portions which are in effect eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft and exert, during rotation, a lifting and rearwardly propelling effect on the grain in the trough 1| to assist its discharge toward and over the discharge lip 12; and this factor or component in the matter of discharging the grain from the well or trough becomes proportionately greater with respect to the effect of the rearward discharging effect of the flights themselves as the latter more closely approach the neutral position, indicated in full lines in Fig. 3. And any clean grain retrieved from the tailings conveyer and discharging, through the chute 66, to the well 84, is conveyed by the screw section 86 into the body portion of the well or hopper 1| where it supplements the grain discharged thereto from the collecting pans 31, 38. As the amount of grain discharged from the chute 66 is relatively small, the addition of this grain from the well 84 to the hopper 1| does not appreciably affect the substantially uniform discharge of grain across the full width of the discharge lip 12 onto the discharge plate 1.3 and therefrom onto the forward portion ofv the upper sieve 53 of the cleaningshoe. The general result is that, with ,versely of the length of the separator, the major portion of the separated grain is discharged from one side of the collecting pans and deposited at one side of the trough 1|; and if the flights of transverse conveyer 15 were to remain in the full line neutral position of Fig. 3, the major portion of the grain would be discharged from the -lower side of the hopper 1| and onto the corresponding side of the upper sieve 53 of the cleaningshoe, with the result that this side of the cleaning shoe would be overloaded beyond its capacity to do effective and efficient cleaning, and

there would be loss of grain, along with the tailings, past the discharge end of the cleaning shoe. However, with the automatically reversible and essence adjustablelconveyerfi "I inyoperation, and assuming, for instance, that it is the side at theleft in Fig. 3 which isv in the lowermost position, then tails ofdesigniand structuredescribed herein and through actioniof pendulum l01,'l08 and its effeet, through the spindle I02, .crosshead NH, and actuating rods 91, 98, operatively connected to the rotatable hubs or spindles 9i oftheconveyer flights 94, the angularity. of thelatter is adjusted in a direction and to such an extent as is required to cause'the flights tomove the grain from the lowermost side of the well or hopper H to the required degree to produce. a desired substantially uniform discharge of thegrain from the trough ll onto the discharge. plate 13 and the forward edge of the upper sieve 53 of the cleaning shoe, across the full width thereof. As indicated hereinabove, this results in uniform loading of l the cleaning shoeacross the full width thereof, and

hence effective and. efficient cleaning of the threshed grain. It will be apparent that, in'case the tilting of the separator is in adirection opposite to that described hereinabovethependulum H31, H18 will 'act to" cause shifting of the conveyer flights tothe required degree in adirection opposite to thatheretofore described, to attain the desiredf'uniform distribution of the grain across the fulluwidth of the cleaning shoe and eifective and efficient cleaning results in the operation of themachine.

Satisfactory results with the above automatically operative distributing-conveyer 15 are ordinarily obtainable with an arrangement where the cleaning shoe'is relatively fixed as to transverse inclination with respect to the separating rack and collecting pans, and accordingly tilts in the same direction asthe separator body; since any transverse sliding of grain on the sieves of the cleaning shoe isordinarily sufliciently impeded by the roughened surface of the screens alone, or in conjunction with "several ridges ofbarrierson the upper surface ofthe'screens extendingIlongituclinallyof the length of theseparatoi' housing. However, where the machine is required to work on ground of very considerable degree" ofslope; further advantages may be embraced ,Withinthe scope of the annexed claims.

f lfills claimed and desired to secureby Letters Patent:

1.} In a threshing or like apparatus including devices forfiseparating and cleaning threshed grain orithe like, a feeding and distributing device disposed in position to receive separated grain and having its discharge edge extending transversely across substantially thefull width of said cleaning device adjacent the inlet edge thereof, saidfeeding anddistributing device comprising adjustableconveying mean operative to move the separated grain, transversely. of said feeding device from one side toward the other side thereof when said feeding. device is tilted from normal generally horizontal position, and means for varying the directionof conveyin by said conveying means of the separated grain to facilitate the distribution of separated grain from said feeding device'to Said cleaning device uniformly across substantially the full width of said cleaning device irrespective of the direction of transverse tilt of said-feeding devicel l 2. In a threshing or like apparatus including devices ;for separating and cleaning threshed grain orthe like, a feeding and distributing device disposed in position to receive the separated grain andhaving its discharge edge extending transversely: across substantially the full width of conveying material therebyatransversely along "shown in the drawings and that the invention ineludes such other forms andlmodifications as are said receiving element, and means automatically responsive to the direction of transverse tilt from horizontal of the discharge edge of said receiving device for varying the direction of conveying by said conveying device. l l

3. In a threshing or like apparatus including devices for separating and cleaning threshed grain or the like, a feeding and distributing device disposed in position to receive the separated grain and having its discharge edge extending transversely across substantially thefull ,width the adjustable-vanes or flights adjacent one transverse end of the conveyer, such' as that adjacent r the end into which the'grain discharged from the chute B6 is moved, may, instead of being parallel to the other flights inneutral' positionhave a slightinitial set or pitch in such direction as to cause them to conveylmaterial away from that end toward the intermediate .partof the conveyer.

It will be apparent, that thepresent invention provides asimple'andyeffective arrangement in connection with threshing machines, particularly those of theharvester-threshertype, for greatly improving or increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of recovery of cleaned grain Where the of said Cleaning deviceadjacent the inlet edge thereof, said feedingand distributing device comprising a receivingelement' and a conveying device-associated withsaid receiving element, said conveying device being adjustable as to rate and direction of conveying of material thereby transversely along said receiving element, and means automatically responsive to the direction of transverse tilt from horizontal of said feeding and distributing device for varyingthe rate and direction of conveying-by said conveying device to enable said feeding and distributing device todischarge l the separatedgrain in a substantially uniformly direction of conveying thereby, said means including a pendulum deviceoperative in response to the direction of transverse tilt from horizontal of th discharge edge of said feeding. device to cause said conveying device to convey material from the lowermost transverse side of said trough toward the opposite side thereof at a rate which provides for the discharge of material from said trough in a substantially uniform stream across substantially the full width of said cleaning device.

5. In a threshing or like apparatus including devices for separating and cleaning threshed grain or the like, a feeding and distributing device disposed in position to receive theseparated grain and having its discharge edge extending transversely across substantially the full width of said cleaning device adjacent the inlet edge thereof, said feeding and distributing device comprising a trough and a conveying device within said trough and provided with flights adjustable as to direction and rate of conveying, means for adjusting said conveyer flights as to rate and direction of conveying thereby, said means including a pendulum-operated device operative in response to the direction and degree of transverse tilt of the discharge edge of said feeding and distributing device to cause said conveying device to convey material from the lowermost side of said trough toward the other side thereof at a rate which facilitates the discharge of material therefrom in a stream substantially uniformly distributed across substantially the full width of said cleaning device.

6. In a threshing or like apparatus including devices for separating and cleaning threshed grain or the like, a feeding and distributing device comprising a trough disposed in position to receive the separated grain and having its discharge edge extending transversely across substantially the full width of said cleaning device adjacent the inlet edge thereof, and a conveying'device in the form of a screw conveyer within said trough and including a rotatably mounted shaft having a hollow body portion, conveyer flights pivotally mounted on said hollow shaft portion and having pivotal spindles projecting into theinterior of said hollow shaft portion, actuating elements within said hollow shaft portion and cooperating with saidspindles, and operating means cooperative with said actuating means and projecting from said hollow shaft portion to and operable from the exterior thereof while said shaft is in operation to effect desired adjustment of the pitch and direction of conveying of said flights.

'7. In a threshing or like apparatus including devices for separating and cleaning threshed grain or the like, a feeding and distributing device comprising a trough disposed in position to receive the separated grainand having its discharge edge extending transversely across substantially the full width of said cleaning device adjacent the inlet edge thereof, and a conveying device in the form of a screw conveyer within said trough and including a rotatably mounted shaft having a hollow body portion, conveyer flights pivotally mounted on the hollow portion of said shaft and having pivotal spindles projecting into the interior of said hollow shaft portion, alternate flights in the direction of the axis of said shaft being mounted atradially opposite sides of the shaft, actuating elements within said hollow shaft portion and cooperating with said spindles, operating means cooperative with said actuating means and'including a spindle projecting from and axially adjustable through one end of said hollow shaft, and a pendulum-actuated device responsive to the degree of tilt from horizontal of the axis of rotation of said shaft for actuating said axially adjustable spindle to effect predetermined angular adjustment of said conveyer flights as to' rate and direction'of conveying to cause said feeding device to feed the separated grain to said'cleaning device substantially unifamily across the full width of said cleaning device.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a conveyer comprising a trough'adapted to receive material and having an open discharge side, a

shaft mounted to rotate in said trough and having a hollow body portion, conveyer flights rotatably mounted on said hollow shaft portion to different positions of angular adjustment and having pivotal mounting spindles projecting into 2;) the interior of said hollow shaft portion, means associated with the mounting spindles of said flights for rotating said flights about the axes of their spindles, said means comprising actuating elements within said hollow shaft portion,

operating means cooperative'with said actuating means and projecting from said hollow. shaft portion to the exterior thereof, and a pendulumactuated device responsive to the degree of tilt of the axis of rotation of said shaft for actuating said operating means to effect predetermined angular adjustment of said conveyer flights.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a conveyer comprising a trough adapted to receive material throughout substantially its full length and having an open discharge side, a shaft mounted to rotate in said trough and having a hollow body portion, conveyer flights pivotally mounted on the hollow portion of said shaft and having pivotal mounting spindles projecting into 0 the interior of said hollow shaft portion, alternate flights alongthe length of said shaft being mounted at radially opposite sides of the shaft, means associated with the mounting spindles of said flights for rotating said flights about the axes of their spindles, said means comprising actuating elements within said hollow shaft portion, a spindle projecting and axially adjustable through one end of said hollow shaft and operatively connected to said actuating elements within said shaft, and a pendulum-actuated device responedge and to advance chaff to the discharge edge of the shoe, said separating mechanism and said cleaning shoe being enclosed within and supported by an enclosing housing, a trough within said housing extending'transversely of the direction of travel of chaff over said cleaning shoe and adapted to receive grain and chaff, said trough having a discharge adjacent the inlet side of said cleaning shoe across substantially the full width thereof, an adjustable conveyer within said housing having flights operating within said trough and operative to convey material along said trough and to cause the discharge of the material from said trough onto the adjacent edge of said cleaning shoe across substantially the full width thereof, and means said conveyer trough from a generally horizontal direction to automatically vary the pitch and reverse the direction of said conveyer flights to insure the feeding of grain from said trough to said cleaning shoe across substantially the full width thereof independently of the direction and degree of tilt of said troug 11. In a harvester-thresher, comprising harvesting, threshing and separating mechanisms, and a cleaning shoe adapted to receive separated grain or the like and chaff adjacentits inlet edge and to advance chaff to the discharge edge ofthe shoe, said saparating mechanism and said cleaning shoe being enclosed within and supported by an enclosing housing, a troughwithin said hous ingextending transversely of the direction of and conveying effect of'said conveying flights.

travel of chaff over said cleaning shoe and 1 adapted to receive separated grain and chaff, said trough having a discharge adjacent the inlet side of said cleaning shoe across substantially the full width thereof, a conveyer operatively supported by said h'ousing and having adjustable flights operating Within said trough and operative to convey material along said troughin either direction,

and pendulum-actuated means supported by said housing and responsive to the direction and degree of tilt of said conveyer trough from a generally horizontal direction to automatically vary the rate and reverse the direction of conveying of said conveyer to insure the feeding of grain from said trough to said cleaningshoe across substantially the full width thereof.

12. In a harvester-thresher, comprising harvesting, threshing and separating mechanisms, and means including a cleaning shoe adapted to receive seperated grain or the like and chaff adjacent its inlet edge and to advance chaff to the discharge edge of the shoe and to recover partly threshed tailings for supply thereof to the threshing mechanism for rethreshing, a housing enclosing and supporting said separating and cleaning mechanisms, a trough within said housing extending transversely of the direction of travel of chaff over said cleaning shoe and adapted to receive grain and chaff from said separating mechanism, said trough having a discharge adjacent the inlet edge of said cleaning shoe across substantially the full width thereof, means for collecting clean grain separatedfrom said tailings during the passage thereof tosaid threshing mechanism, said collecting means comprising a discharge well communicating with one, end of said trough, a rotatably mounted screw typeconveyer having conveyingflight sections operating in said trough and said di charge well, respectively, the conveying section in said discharge well being operative to convey material fromsaid well into said trough under all conditions of operation, and the conveying sectionin said trough comprising flights angularly adjustable on said shaft to vary the pitch and direction of conveying of said latter flights, and gravity actuated means responsive to the direction and degree of tilt of said screw conveye from a generally horizontal direction to automatically vary the rate and reverse the direction in which said conveyer conveys material along saidtrough and feeds said material to said cleaning device to insure the distribution of grain from said trough to said cleaning shoe across substantially the full width thereof.

14. In apparatus for feeding grain or like material in a stream of extended width, a trough adapted to receive material to be fed and having an open discharge side, a screw type conveyer disposed within and extending longitudinally of said trough and mounted to rotate therein, said conveyer comprising a shaft having a hollow portion,

and external conveying flights mounted on the hollow portion of said shaft, said flights being adjustable to vary the pitch and the direction of conveying of said flights, and the hollow portion of said shaft being provided with peripheral surface portions between said flights operative to propel material within said trough toward thedischarge side thereof during rotation of said conveyer.

, 15. In a threshing or like apparatus including form of a screw conveyer within said trough and including a rotatably mounted shaft having a hollow body portion, conveyer flights pivotally mounted on the hollow portion of said shaft and having pivotal spindle projecting into the interior ofsaid hollow shaft portion, actuating elements cooperating with said spindles for angularly adjusting thesame, operating means cooperative with said actuating means, and a pendulum-actuated device responsive to the degree of tilt from horizontal of the axis of rotation of said shaft for actuating said operating means to effect predetermined angular adjustment of said conveyer flights as to rate and direction ofconveying to cause said feeding device todischarge the grain substantially uniformly across the full width of the discharge edge of said trough.

16. In apparatus for feeding and distributing grain or the like, a conveyer comprising a trough like element adapted to receive material and having an open discharge side, a shaft mounted to rotate in said trough and having a hollow body part, conveyer flights rotatably mounted onsaid hollow shaft part and adjustable to different positions of angular adjustment and having pivotal mounting spindles projecting into the interior of said hollow shaft part, and adjusting means disposed within said hollow sh'aft portion and operative to adjust the angular position of said conveyer flights, said hollow shaft part having peripheral surface portions between adjacent flights and eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of said shaft and operative to propel material within'said trough toward the thereof during rotation of said shaf OSWALD A. APPEL.

7 13. In apparatus for feeding grain or the like in a stream of extended width, a feeding and distridischarge side 

